Why Sea Turtles Matter
Sea turtles are ancient navigators of the oceans and vital players in the health of marine ecosystems. Green Turtles help maintain healthy seagrass beds by grazing, promoting regrowth and supporting marine biodiversity. Hawksbill Turtles, on the other hand, feed primarily on sponges, playing a crucial role in preserving coral reef balance. As long-distance migrators, both species contribute to nutrient cycling between coastal and open ocean environments. Their presence is often a key indicator of overall ocean health, making their survival a priority for marine conservation efforts.
Global Threats Facing Sea Turtles
Despite their resilience over millions of years, sea turtles face numerous modern threats. Plastic pollution and debris often result in accidental ingestion or entanglement. Rising sand temperatures, driven by climate change, are skewing sex ratios among hatchlings and threatening nest viability. Habitat loss from coastal development and light pollution further disrupts nesting success. In some parts of the world, poaching and the illegal trade in turtle meat, shells and eggs continue to drive population declines. Accidental capture in fishing gear remains one of the largest threats globally.
Seychelles: A Key Location for Sea Turtle Conservation
Located in the western Indian Ocean, Seychelles provides critical nesting and foraging grounds for Green and Hawksbill Turtles. The country has made significant strides in marine protection, outlawing turtle harvesting in the 1990s and committing to robust monitoring and habitat protection efforts. Many of the archipelago’s remote beaches offer undisturbed nesting habitat, helping secure vital strongholds for these species. Islands like North Island, where targeted conservation programmes are in place, have become important sites for turtle recovery.
Wildlife ACT’s History on North Island
Wildlife ACT began working on North Island as part of the broader Noah’s Ark island restoration initiative. The goal of this project was to rehabilitate the island’s natural ecosystem after centuries of human impact and restore it as a refuge for endangered and locally extinct species. Since then, Wildlife ACT, through its volunteer programme, has contributed to long-term ecological monitoring on the island, with sea turtle conservation as one of the core components. Nest monitoring, hatchling data collection and photographic identification have become essential tools in understanding turtle behaviour and informing management decisions.
The Noah’s Ark Project
North Island’s ecological story is one of restoration and resilience. Once degraded by invasive plant species, unsustainable land use and the introduction of exotic animals, the island faced severe biodiversity loss. The Noah’s Ark project was launched in response, as a visionary initiative aimed at transforming the island into a safe haven for Seychelles' most threatened and endemic species.
This effort included the removal of invasive flora, the rewilding of key habitats and the reintroduction of native wildlife, including rare bird species such as the Seychelles White-eye. For sea turtles, this restoration created undisturbed nesting beaches and improved the quality of coastal habitats, free from artificial light pollution and development pressure. The result is an island where biodiversity has been allowed to recover and where turtle populations are closely monitored and protected year-round.
The success of the Noah’s Ark project has made North Island a leading example of island ecosystem restoration in the Indian Ocean. It benefits not only sea turtles, but also a wide range of coastal and marine species that depend on a healthy, functioning environment.
Meet the Species: Green Turtles
Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. They are known for their long migrations between foraging and nesting grounds. Adult females return to the same beaches where they were born to lay their eggs, a behaviour known as natal homing. This remarkable instinct is one reason why protecting long-standing nesting sites like North Island is so important.
Globally, Green Turtles are listed as endangered, facing threats from bycatch, marine debris and habitat degradation. As adults, they feed almost exclusively on seagrass and algae, helping to maintain the health and productivity of seagrass beds, which in turn support countless marine species.
On North Island, nesting occurs year-round, with the most active period typically between November and March. Volunteers assist by locating and documenting new nests, identifying returning females through tag numbers or photos, and recording data on clutch size and hatchling success. At-risk nests will also be relocated with the support of volunteers to provide a better chance at survival. These long-term records allow the Environmental Team to monitor reproductive trends and better understand how environmental changes are affecting turtle populations.
Meet the Species: Hawksbill Turtles
Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are among the most visually distinctive sea turtles. Their beautifully patterned shells and sharp, curved beaks set them apart from other species. They play an essential ecological role on coral reefs by feeding on sponges that would otherwise outcompete reef-building corals.
Classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, Hawksbills are particularly vulnerable to illegal shell trade, habitat loss and the effects of climate change. Unlike some other sea turtles, they often choose nesting sites well above the high tide line, typically under coastal vegetation. This preference makes nests harder to detect and reinforces the importance of daily patrols.
On North Island, the nesting season generally runs from October through April, although climate changes have extended these traditional nesting periods. Volunteers help locate nests and relocate nests where necessary, confirm signs of nesting activity or hatchling emergence, and gather data on nest success. Monitoring also includes follow-up checks to understand how many hatchlings emerge successfully and how many may have been predated or trapped. These insights help guide conservation actions both locally and regionally.
What Volunteers Do on North Island
Volunteers working with Wildlife ACT on North Island are fully integrated into the island’s sea turtle monitoring work. Their contributions are guided by field experts and grounded in conservation science. Every task supports data collection and habitat protection.
Each day begins with early morning beach patrols to search for turtle tracks and new nests. Volunteers assist in identifying fresh activity, marking nest sites, recording key data and noting any threats or disturbances. They are also trained to observe hatching events and collect information on the number of hatchlings, predation risks and emergence timing.
When nests are due to hatch, volunteers help monitor the site closely and gather data after emergence. In some cases, trained staff may conduct post-hatch nest excavations to assess success rates and understand environmental factors affecting development. All findings contribute to long-term data used by the Environmental Team and its partners.
In addition to monitoring, volunteers participate in beach clean-ups, vegetation management and rehabilitation, as well as fish identification and other important environmental work. These actions protect turtle habitats and ensure that nesting beaches remain viable and undisturbed.
By the end of their stay, volunteers gain practical field skills, a deeper understanding of marine turtle ecology and the satisfaction of contributing to a globally important conservation effort.
A Closer Look: A Turtle’s Journey
Each nesting season tells its own story and on North Island, volunteers often witness the return of known females, previously tagged individuals that have been coming back to the same beach for years. Watching a nesting Green Turtle haul herself ashore, dig a nest under the stars and return to the sea is a powerful reminder of what conservation is protecting. Equally moving is the sight of a newly hatched Hawksbill turtle making its way to the ocean, guided by incredible instinct. These moments reinforce the value of sustained conservation and the role volunteers play in securing the next generation.
Conservation Volunteering That Makes a Difference
Marine conservation volunteering with Wildlife ACT is not a holiday or symbolic experience. It is a contribution to real, science-based conservation that supports long-term goals for biodiversity recovery. Every data point collected, every hatchling counted or nest verified, feeds into a larger understanding of species health, population dynamics and ecological trends.
Volunteers gain practical experience in the field, working alongside trained conservationists and becoming part of an international community of people committed to wildlife protection. The impact of their time extends beyond the beach, informing future conservation planning for both the Seychelles and sea turtle populations across the Indian Ocean.
Join the Effort This World Sea Turtle Day
Sea turtles have roamed the oceans for over 100 million years, but their future now depends on what we do today. On North Island, real conservation work is taking place every day to safeguard these ancient mariners. Volunteers are helping protect nests, monitor hatchlings and gather the data needed to secure the future of two of the world’s most threatened sea turtle species.
To learn more about joining Wildlife ACT’s marine conservation programme in Seychelles, visit the Marine Conservation Volunteering page.
All images by Jaana Eleftheriou
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